Garment forms



Jan. 19, 1960 M. B. LOPEZ GARMENT FORMS Filed July 2, 1956 INVENTOR United States Patent GARMENT FORMS Manuela Bellas Lopez, Havana, Cuba Application July 2, 1956, Serial No.'595,412

1 Claim. (Cl. 223-67) My invention consists in a new and useful improvement in garment forms and is designed more particularly to produce a form to which womens sweaters, pullovers, woven blouses, etc. may be applied and allowed to dry. My improved device is collapsible for packing and, being expansible, can be distended to assume the proper size to be adapted to the dimensions of each garment to be applied thereto.

I am aware that it is old to provide pneumatic forms on which dresses are to be placed and which are collapsible. The particularly novel feature of my device is the combination of a body and a member received in the body adapted to support the upper portion of the device, the body and the member being independently distensible. This novel feature of my device makes it possible to produce the desired degree of distension of the body to produce a form of the size appropriate to each garment to be applied thereto, and the independent distension of the member for the proper support of the upper portion of the form.

While I illustrate in the drawing and hereinafter fully describe one specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that I do not consider my invention to be limited to said embodiment, but refer for its scope to the claim appended hereto.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of my improved device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawing, my improved device comprises a body 1 so configured as to provide a collar portion 1-a about a neck opening 2, shoulder portions 1-b, 1-b above arm portions 1-c, 1c about opening 3, 3, and a bust portion 1-d and a back portion 1-e about a lower opening 4.

The collar portion 1-a has suitably mounted therein a circular plate closing the opening 2. The openings 3, 3 are closed by plates 6 suitably mounted in the ends of shoulder portions 1-b, 1-b and arm portions l-c, 1c. The opening 4 is closed by a plate 7 suitably mounted in the bust portion l-d and the back portion 1-e.

I provide a cylindrical supporting member 8 disposed in the body 1 and extending laterally between the shoulder portions 1-b, l-b and the arm portions l-c, l-c, its

ends 'S-a engaging the inner faces of the plates 6, respectively.

It is to be understood that the body '1 and the member 8 are composed of a suitable flexible and resilient plastic and that the plates, 5, 6, 6 and 7 are composed of a suitable flexible plastic of somewhat greater thickness than the body 1 and the member 8, thereby providing two airtight chambers.

The body 1 has an air supply tube 9 inserted through the plate 7 with a manually operable valve 9-a. The member 8 has an air supply tube 10 inserted through one of the plates 6 with a manually operable valve 10-a.

'Having described the structural details of my improved device, I will now describe its use and operation. The plate 5, with hanger loop 5-11, is fastened in opening 2 in an air-tight joint. The member 8 is inserted into the body 1, through the opening 4, and disposed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tube 10 being passed through the plate 6 in an air-tight joint and then supplied with the valve 10-a. The plate 7 with tube 9 is then fastened in the opening 4 in an air-tight joint. By suitable means, the body 1 and the member 8 are supplied with air under pressure until the body 1 is distended to the desired degree and the member 8 is distended to the proper degree to serve as a support for the shoulder portions 1-b, 1-b. It is to be understood that valves 9-11 and 10-a are manipulated to maintain the distension of the body 1 and the member 8.!

It is to be noted that by providing the member 8, having air supply means independent of the air supply means for the body 1, it is possible with my device to produce the desired degree of distension of the body 1 and quite independently to produce the proper degree of distension of the member 8 for proper support of the shoulder portions 1-b, 1-b.

It is obvious that by manipulation of the valves 9-a and 10-a, air can be evacuated from the body 1 and the member 8 to permit proper folding of the device, i.e. plates 6 being folded inwardly with the ends of member 8, plate 5 downwardly and plate 7 upwardly, and the body 1 being wrapped thereabout by reason of its flexible character. The device is designed, when not in use, to be collapsed into a compact package insertable in a womans purse.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

In a garment form, the combination of a distensible member having a front portion, a back portion and a pair of cylindrical, arm portions projecting laterally from said front and back portions, on the sides of said member, respectively, each of aid cylindrical, arm portions having a circular opening at its outer end; a circular, closure plate mounted in each of said openings; a distensible, cylindrical member so disposed in said first member as to extend across said front and back portions and through said arm portions, so that its ends engage the inner faces of said plates, respectively; and means adapted to independently distend said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 643,543 Schrader Feb. 13, 1900 1,165,045 Ufiord Dec. 21, 1915 1,252,618 Roy Jan. 8, 1918 2,720,347 Jackson Oct. 11, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,013,147 France July 23, 1952 1,027,120 France May 7, 1953 

